SELFBUILDER SURVEY: DELIVERING HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMES
What are you reasons for choosing to achieve Passivhaus certifi cation?
a Passivhaus certifi er will then assess whether the completed building meets the set targets. hile the individual elements can be somewhat straightforward, getting everything to work in harmony to meet the various targets can be more complex. t’s for this reason many aspiring Passivhaus self-builders use either a Passivhaus designer or consultant to help with the process. To avoid the involved certifi cation process, or in cases where the site or project may not be suitable for full certifi cation, some self-builders opt to simply apply Passivhaus principles to their build. This allows them to handpick the elements that work for their project, without being tied to a myriad of components. ith a complex process to navigate and the associated
increased cost, is it a genuinely attainable standard for the majority of self-builds nd are self-builders even aware of what it is, and more importantly what it entails To answer these uestions, The elfbuilder conducted a survey hosted by ind Out ow to determine just where Passivhaus sits in the minds of UK self-builders. e sought to learn how many are actively pursuing Passivhaus – whether that be full certifi cation or applying certain principles – and what their motivations are. ually, we wanted to fi nd out from those who aren’t pursuing it at all what’s put them off – is it a lack of understanding, reservations around the complexities or a lack of suitable experts and products Unsurprisingly, given the stats published by the Passivhaus
Trust, only 2 of respondents said they are pursuing Passivhaus including full certifi cation. The reasons for pursuing it are plentiful – aside from the obvious environmental benefi ts, it can improve the health and wellbeing of occupants, result in much lower energy bills, and make homes more valuable. However, are the challenges outweighing the positives Going through a more complex design process, the cost of additional professionals and products, a lack of suitable experts and products, and the rigorous standards that must be met can all hold self-builders back. ome consider it but ultimately choose against it for those reasons, while others aren’t considering it at all.
n order for sustainable building to go a step further,
it’s important to understand the motivations and barriers self-builders are facing. How much interest is there in Passivhaus and, perhaps more crucially, how much understanding is there n order to hit the Passivhaus Trust’s bold target, would the self-build industry benefi t from more support, better education or a wider pool of professionals to guide them through the process
The indings ith the Passivhaus Trust admirably hoping to see 0 of new
housing built to Passivhaus standards by 20, how far away is that target at the moment There are varying ways of using Passivhaus within a build – while some self-builders will be seeking full certifi cation, others may simply choose to apply the principles without certifi cation. e asked survey participants whether they have considered Passivhaus for their project, with the majority sadly but perhaps not all that surprisingly saying they did not consider it at all. The reasons for this were explored later in the survey – whether it’s something specifi c such as fi nding it too complex, or simply that they aren’t even aware of what it is. t does encouragingly mean the remaining 2 of
respondents are not only aware of Passivhaus, but have actively thought about it when planning their build. e asked them specifi cally whether they were either aiming for full certifi cation 2, applying Passivhaus principles but not seeking full certifi cation or had considered it but ultimately decided against it . hile it’s maybe slightly disheartening that only 2 are aiming for full certifi cation, the fact are applying the principles is hugely encouraging and proves there is not only an awareness of the need for high performance buildings, but an actual effort to build them. hile certifi cation is the only way to guarantee a building built using Passivhaus principles is performing as intended, applying the principles will still ultimately result in a much better performing building than one built to simply meet the reuirements of Building egulations.
24
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
